Perfect weather for ice swimming

Now that the extremly cold days are over the weather is quite perfect for some truely Finnish Avantouinti. That means swimming in a frozen lake. 

One perfect spot for this is Kuusijärvi in Vantaa. Warm up first either in one of the last smoke saunas you can find in the Helsinki area or in a normal electric sauna. When you are warm enough, grab your towel and flipflops (very important) and head to the ice hole for a dip.

Yes, the water is pretty cold but you will feel really good afterwards. Don't forget to warm up in the sauna afterwards again.

For more information on Kuusijärvi and how to get there check out the website.

Have a great Sunday and a wonderful winter!

Last chance for skating

Are you still up for skating this season? Well, then you should be fast. Most ice rinks are already gone and also Jääpuisto at Rautatientori is not going to be open that long anymore.

The big Jääpuisto ice rink will close at the end of the month. And depending of the weather might even stop opperating a little bit earlier. So if you still fancy some skating you should heard there soon. 

Information on opening times and prices can be found on the Jääpuisto website.

Sunset over Lauttasaari

This February brough quite some sunshine and some bautiful sunsets as well.

Have a nice Sunday!

Sun breaking through

More and more sunny days are coming up now. And the sun doesn't just break through the clouds but also slowly starts breaking the ice. Some parts of the Helsinki shorline are already ice free again. At other places the sea is still covered with a thin layer. 

So don't try to walk on the ice anymore but rather enjoy the beautiful scenery from a save distance.

Have a great Sunday and don't forget that today is Restaurant Day!

Is the gloominess over?

According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute this winter has been the gloomiest in over three decades for many parts of the country. Some areas of Southern Finland have gotten as little as under four hours of sunshine during November and just over five hours in December.

There is a good chance though that the darkest days are over now. Last weekend (Friday and Sunday) brought lots of light to the capital area and the forecast for the upcoming days looks pretty good as well. This also means that it might get colder and windier again. So don't forget to dress up warm enough. But also don't leave your sunglasses at home.

Have a good start into the week!

Red Bull Crashed Ice Championship 2015

With speeds of over 60 km/h six guys racing down a winded ice course with turns, banked corners and jumps on skates, that is Ice Cross Downhill. If you'd like to see that live and in action you should come to Serena in Espoo today.

There the Red Bull Crashed Ice Championships are held today. Watch the best ice cross skaters from around the world compete for the trophy. The finals start at 18.00. Doors open already at 15.00 and the entrance to the event is free. You just have to find your way to Serena. To find out how to get their and for more information on the event check out the Serena website.

Patchwork of ice sheets

Due to the relatively warm weather in combination with occasional minus temperatures the sea looks quite special these days. Instead of the usual thick layer of ice many small sheets of ice float on the water. Some have also frozen together again during some cold nights.

What do you think? Will the ice now melt away completely or will we still get some really cold days during February or even March?

What to do when you slip and fall

Ice can be beautiful. Especially when the sun shines over the frozen sea. But if the streets freze over it can also get quite dangerous.

Around 20 000 people slip, fall and injure themselves on the ice every month in Finland. The question is what you can do if that happens to you as well. For that case Yle News put together some useful information that will help you to figure out what to do in case something happens. In yesterdays article you can read what your rights are and who is responsible in case you fall.

Check it out to be informed. Stay save and have enjoy the Finnish winter!

Slippery roads

Be careful when you go outside these days. The streets and roads are extremely slippery. During the day the plus degrees causes the snow to melt. During the night the water then freezes over again.

Make small steps and when it gets really slippery consider to rather walk in the snow next to the paths for better grip.

Have a nice and save weekend!

SnowHow at Helsinki Vantaa

During winter snow frequently closes down many European airports. Sometimes air traffic gets completely stuck in some countries. Not so in Finland though.

Helsinki Vantaa is one of the best equiped airports in the world when it comes to fighting snow and ice. And believe it or not, the longest time Helsinki Vantaa Airport ever was closed due to heavy snow was for 30 minutes. That was in 2003.

So don't worry about the weather if you are planning to fly anywhere from Helsinki around the winter time. Helsinki Vantaa is prepared.

Beware of ice and snow!

Helsinki is covered in thick ice and snow. And it looks beautiful. But be careful when you walk through the streets. Eventhough the city does its best to keep the roofs clean and the streets clean there is always the risk of something falling down.

Keep your eyes open and have a save start into the new year!

The ice is melting

The shore of Helsinki already has the first small ice free spots.

What is your guess how long it still takes for the ice to vanish completely?

Skating at the Olympic Stadium

Wouldn't it be cool to once skate inside the Olympic Statium in front of the ranks that are normally crowded with peope for big sports events or gigs?

This weekend you still can. Today (10:00 - 20:00), tomorrow (10:00 - 18:00) and on Sunday (10:00 - 18:00) the ice rink inside the stadium is still open for the public. The entrance fee is 3 € for adults, 1,50 € for kids and under 7 years free.

You just have to bring your own skates. They don't have a skate rental service.

Have a nice weekend!

Ice skating in Kallio

Any plans for the weekend? How about some ice skating? There are several rinks in and around the city.

You might have already read on HelsinkiIn about the one right in the center next to the Main Station. But you can also find a bigger and cheaper alternative a bit to the North in Kallio.

The entrance is 3 € and for some additional 4 € you can rent skates as well.

Enjoy and have a nice weekend!

Get your car running

The week has started and you need to get to work again. If you go by car you might face some difficulties in the morning. Here are a few things you should definitely have in your car during the cold time of the year.

- an ice scraper to free the windows of the frost in the morning

- a shovel to get rid of the snow around your car

- a blanket to put underneath the car when it gets stuck in the snow

- oil or spray to unfreeze the lock of your car (this one you should of course not have laying in the car but always with you)

Drive safely and have a good start into the weekend!

Caution! Thin ice!

It looks beautiful. After last night's snow the frozen bays and lakes are covered with snow and look already like you could walk over them. But be careful. The ice is still quite thin. So rather enjoy it from a distance and wait a little while longer till it's save to go.

Enjoy the winter!

Frozen sea

Within just a few days the sea around Helsinki froze over almost completely. And in the morning together with a clear sky this can create rather nice pictures.

Sorry for all those pictures during the last days! Hope you guys don't mind.

Ice skating in the center

The ice rink on Rautatientori is open again. As every winter the Jääpuisto (Icepark) welcomes skating fans and everyone else who wants to have some fun on the ice to come to the big square next to the Railway Station in the heart of Helsinki.

You can either bring your own skates or rent a pair there directly. The day ticket is 6€ (4€ with discount). Series tickets are available as well. 

The Jääpuisto is open till March every day at the following times: Monday till Friday from 12 - 21:00, Saturday 10 - 21:00 and Sunday 10 - 19:00.

For more information and special event visit the official website.

Kauppatori in 360°

As a small Easter surprise from HelsinkiIn for you a 360° view of Kauppatori.

And there are more 360° views from Helsinki to come here on HelsinkiIn.

A cover of snow and ice

This is a view over Helsinki in March. The picture was taken just a few days back. But temperatures are rising and soon the cover of ice and snow should be gone.